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Josh Norris

Rankings

Day 3: Top 25 Best Available

I will be murmuring, “how is he still available?” in my sleep tonight. There’s a variety of reasons the prospects listed below missed out on the first two days of the draft. Some possibly due to medicals (Jesse Williams' rumored knee, Quanterus Smith), others a poor pre-draft process (Jordan Poyer), and finally, a few specialize in a certain role (Washington, Rambo).

I’ve narrowed the evaluation of each of these prospects down to what truly matters: where they can help the team that drafts them. Next to each name is where they ranked on my pre-draft top 151. A list of my top remaining QBs can be found on the second page.

Where he wins: Experience at nose tackle and as a five technique end. Strong upper body to absorb and hold an anchor. Shows power in hands to shed or extend and press the pocket from the interior at times.

Where he wins: Extremely fluid and smooth in his routes. Sets up opposing cornerback with head fakes and cuts. Reliable hands and adjusts body positioning after tracking to come down with difficult catches. Burns opposition vertically when speed isn’t respected.

Where he wins: Center field type safety who tracks the ball well with angles to disrupt the catch point. Shows enough tackling ability to be a reliable last line of defense. Great ball skills and shows a physical side closing downhill versus receivers.

Where he wins: Uncommon kind of pass rusher in that he does his best work with hand use, extension, and shedding ability. Lines up in two and three point stances. Not afraid to plant off of his outside foot and work inside, or keep his opposition on skates. Reaches to make a play on the QB in the pocket.

Where he wins: Adept in off man, press man, and zone coverages. Physical player on the edge, attacks WR blocks and fights off to make a play. Has a good feel for timing with decisive footwork. Has experience in the slot.

Where he wins: In wide 7 or 9 technique. Excellent get off with low pad level, gains leverage with strong first contact. Leg drive to keep opposition on skates. Has more athleticism than was shown at 5 technique in 2012.

Where he wins: A very aggressive, confident hitter in the open field and when closing on the edge. See him blowing up the middle on inside runs as well. Sniffs out misdirection. Strong safety that lays the hammer on short to intermediate patterns.

Where he wins: Lean runner who sticks close to his blocks with great acceleration after cutting off their backsides. Despite his narrow base he has some nice balance and isn’t afraid of contact as a runner or in pass protection. Decisive cutter, likely in a zone scheme.

Where he wins: One cut, decisive runner with great vision to find backside lanes. Doesn’t shy from contact as a pass protector and can make a big play happen if given a seam due to excellent straight-line speed. Upfield cuts make defenders miss at the second level.

Where he wins: Eats up a lot of ground getting upfield off the snap, shows a nice dip to turn the corner against right tackles and free his path towards QBs. Not a one trick pony, shows willingness to plant outside and work in.

Where he wins: Gets physical in his routes by creating separation, slightly pushes off. Tracks vertical passes well and a determined runner after the catch. Makes grabs in traffic with corners attempting to undercut pattern.

Where he wins: Prototypical strong side linebacker. Gets up field against the run but remains under control. Extends arms to create separation in order to shed on ball carrier. Plays low and former safety skills show when asked to play in short to intermediate game.

Where he wins: Lots of press man and mirrors early in routes with good burst to cut in front of receivers. Tight angles off the edge when sent on a blitz, cleans up on hits when downhill. Frequently used as a gunner on the punt team.

Where he wins: Played right tackle despite a left tackle frame and was not overpowered. Shows nice posture and length to extend, with necessary footwork to make an impact at the second level. Hand placement always seems to be inside to control.

Where he wins: Primarily a slot receiver in college with quick feet to create separation in breaks. Thrives on the broken play due to vertical speed that wasn’t regularly used. Improved hands from 2011 to 2012.

Where he wins: Physical tackler coming from the free safety position, reads and reacts quickly. Makes plays from the opposite hash, takes solid angles and times contact well. Can play single high, two deep, or run with receivers down the seam.

Where he wins: Plenty of off man coverage in college with nice back pedal, strafe, and hip turn to stick with receivers. Attacks the catch point to disrupt. Does well to keep everything in front of him.

Where he wins: Will shine on passing downs. Short choppy steps allow for quick cuts to change defenders’ angles. Comfortable as a receiver in the flats or on angle routes. Low center of gravity helps with broken tackles.

Where he wins: Does not mind getting physical despite frequently lining up as Matt Elam’s free safety. Knifes through trash to make tackles rather than waiting as the last line of defense. Does not shy from attacking the catch point or immediately after. Comfortable trailing tight ends from the slot.

Where he wins: Obviously comfortable in space, runs the seam with tight ends or receivers and shows closing speed in every aspect of his game. Shows more aggression when working downhill whether ball carrier is lined up or on the edge. Weakside linebacker.

Where he wins: Freakish length and can generate consistent separation when it is used. Shows a variety of techniques when rushing from the 5 spot, including push and pull or slap with dip to turn the corner. Strong side defensive end.

Where he wins: A very technical pass rusher in terms of hand use, extension, and shedding ability. Not going to wow with athleticism but understands leverage and lines to keep his opponent off balance. See him as a pass rushing linebacker.

Where he wins: Rarely goes down on first contact. Powerful runner with solid base to work through tackles. One cut runner with some burst. Unafraid to work between the tackles. Covers ground with jump cuts.

Where he wins: Has excellent ball skills as a center fielder with enough skill to take downfield receivers in man coverage. Good angles with some aggression in the running game, even if he doesn’t finish the tackle.

I will be murmuring, “how is he still available?” in my sleep tonight. There’s a variety of reasons the prospects listed below missed out on the first two days of the draft. Some possibly due to medicals (Jesse Williams' rumored knee, Quanterus Smith), others a poor pre-draft process (Jordan Poyer), and finally, a few specialize in a certain role (Washington, Rambo).

I’ve narrowed the evaluation of each of these prospects down to what truly matters: where they can help the team that drafts them. Next to each name is where they ranked on my pre-draft top 151. A list of my top remaining QBs can be found on the second page.

Where he wins: Experience at nose tackle and as a five technique end. Strong upper body to absorb and hold an anchor. Shows power in hands to shed or extend and press the pocket from the interior at times.

Where he wins: Extremely fluid and smooth in his routes. Sets up opposing cornerback with head fakes and cuts. Reliable hands and adjusts body positioning after tracking to come down with difficult catches. Burns opposition vertically when speed isn’t respected.

Where he wins: Center field type safety who tracks the ball well with angles to disrupt the catch point. Shows enough tackling ability to be a reliable last line of defense. Great ball skills and shows a physical side closing downhill versus receivers.

Where he wins: Uncommon kind of pass rusher in that he does his best work with hand use, extension, and shedding ability. Lines up in two and three point stances. Not afraid to plant off of his outside foot and work inside, or keep his opposition on skates. Reaches to make a play on the QB in the pocket.

Where he wins: Adept in off man, press man, and zone coverages. Physical player on the edge, attacks WR blocks and fights off to make a play. Has a good feel for timing with decisive footwork. Has experience in the slot.

Where he wins: In wide 7 or 9 technique. Excellent get off with low pad level, gains leverage with strong first contact. Leg drive to keep opposition on skates. Has more athleticism than was shown at 5 technique in 2012.

Where he wins: A very aggressive, confident hitter in the open field and when closing on the edge. See him blowing up the middle on inside runs as well. Sniffs out misdirection. Strong safety that lays the hammer on short to intermediate patterns.

Where he wins: Lean runner who sticks close to his blocks with great acceleration after cutting off their backsides. Despite his narrow base he has some nice balance and isn’t afraid of contact as a runner or in pass protection. Decisive cutter, likely in a zone scheme.

Where he wins: One cut, decisive runner with great vision to find backside lanes. Doesn’t shy from contact as a pass protector and can make a big play happen if given a seam due to excellent straight-line speed. Upfield cuts make defenders miss at the second level.

Where he wins: Eats up a lot of ground getting upfield off the snap, shows a nice dip to turn the corner against right tackles and free his path towards QBs. Not a one trick pony, shows willingness to plant outside and work in.

Where he wins: Gets physical in his routes by creating separation, slightly pushes off. Tracks vertical passes well and a determined runner after the catch. Makes grabs in traffic with corners attempting to undercut pattern.

Where he wins: Prototypical strong side linebacker. Gets up field against the run but remains under control. Extends arms to create separation in order to shed on ball carrier. Plays low and former safety skills show when asked to play in short to intermediate game.

Where he wins: Lots of press man and mirrors early in routes with good burst to cut in front of receivers. Tight angles off the edge when sent on a blitz, cleans up on hits when downhill. Frequently used as a gunner on the punt team.

Where he wins: Played right tackle despite a left tackle frame and was not overpowered. Shows nice posture and length to extend, with necessary footwork to make an impact at the second level. Hand placement always seems to be inside to control.

Where he wins: Primarily a slot receiver in college with quick feet to create separation in breaks. Thrives on the broken play due to vertical speed that wasn’t regularly used. Improved hands from 2011 to 2012.

Where he wins: Physical tackler coming from the free safety position, reads and reacts quickly. Makes plays from the opposite hash, takes solid angles and times contact well. Can play single high, two deep, or run with receivers down the seam.

Where he wins: Plenty of off man coverage in college with nice back pedal, strafe, and hip turn to stick with receivers. Attacks the catch point to disrupt. Does well to keep everything in front of him.

Where he wins: Will shine on passing downs. Short choppy steps allow for quick cuts to change defenders’ angles. Comfortable as a receiver in the flats or on angle routes. Low center of gravity helps with broken tackles.

Where he wins: Does not mind getting physical despite frequently lining up as Matt Elam’s free safety. Knifes through trash to make tackles rather than waiting as the last line of defense. Does not shy from attacking the catch point or immediately after. Comfortable trailing tight ends from the slot.

Where he wins: Obviously comfortable in space, runs the seam with tight ends or receivers and shows closing speed in every aspect of his game. Shows more aggression when working downhill whether ball carrier is lined up or on the edge. Weakside linebacker.

Where he wins: Freakish length and can generate consistent separation when it is used. Shows a variety of techniques when rushing from the 5 spot, including push and pull or slap with dip to turn the corner. Strong side defensive end.

Where he wins: A very technical pass rusher in terms of hand use, extension, and shedding ability. Not going to wow with athleticism but understands leverage and lines to keep his opponent off balance. See him as a pass rushing linebacker.

Where he wins: Rarely goes down on first contact. Powerful runner with solid base to work through tackles. One cut runner with some burst. Unafraid to work between the tackles. Covers ground with jump cuts.

Where he wins: Has excellent ball skills as a center fielder with enough skill to take downfield receivers in man coverage. Good angles with some aggression in the running game, even if he doesn’t finish the tackle.

Positives/Negatives: First and foremost, a very tough player who bounces up after hits. Consistently steps up into the pocket to deliver the ball under duress. Does not mind taking a beating when sensing a receiver will slip open. Underrated ability to buy himself time, can get first downs on the run when defenses are in man or in deep zones. Unafraid to test the field vertically. Arm strength is impressive in the intermediate game. Not overly concerned about the ball fluttering at the end of his targets, believe it is a footwork issue. Leads receivers on crossing routes and takes chances in the middle of the field rather than taking the conservative approach. Looks at multiple targets before checking down. Changes throwing plane in the face of pressure. However, delivery can be a bit elongated as he drops the football. Vertical shots can be floated, receivers tend to work back into a jump ball situation but the placement likely isn’t on purpose. Holds ball low in the pocket. Tended to lock onto receivers, namely Cobi Hamilton, and forced throws as a result. Made a number of throws that will make evaluators shake their heads, but have to take the bad with the good with him.

Positives/Negatives: Forced to play out of a quick throw, four and five wide receiver offense in 2012 to compensate for poor offensive line play. Much more effective in 2011, working in the pocket, stepping up against edge pressure, and making throws when draped by defenders. Very good at throwing on the run, even testing vertically when moving to his right. Sailed targets at the Senior Bowl but didn’t see that happen in tape review. Flashes anticipation on comebacks and breaking routes, not just on crossing patterns. Made some unbelievable throws downfield with effortless velocity and bucket placement. That's where his accuracy shows the most. Inconsistent feeling backside rushers. Needs to prove he can find check-downs and secondary reads inside the pocket rather than escaping to space, but that could have also been the offense’s fault in 2012. Some easy throws are blatantly off target for no apparent reason. Also showed a tendency to lock onto a first read in 2012. Did the offense in his final season stunt his development?

Positives/Negatives: There are some frenetic qualities to the Syracuse product’s game, but if harnessed he can be quite good. Perhaps he is comfortable with the jittery movements, but they have resulted in good and bad things. Has plus velocity in the short and intermediate game when balanced and clean in his footwork. Quick release, gets the ball out in a hurry when necessary. When the rhythm is there, the accuracy follows. Shows that he can make multiple reads, san look off safety to come to the opposite side of the field. Does his best to avoid sacks, but puts himself in those situations too. Puts a lot of air under deep balls, perhaps due to his motion, footwork, or lack of vertical arm strength, but it gives his man a chance to make a play. Sells play action and screens well, throwing well on the run to his right. Trust in his arm strength has led to poor decisions and poor placement when forcing passes into tight windows. It all goes back to that frenetic movement, for me.

Positives/Negatives: Might make more adjustments at the line than any other passer in this class. Usually accurate when he is able to set his base and stride into his throws. Asked to move the pocket and throw on the run, or roll and plant to reset and test downfield. Needs to be a rhythm passer, plant off back foot and hit target. Will struggle to make time for himself. Has good placement when able to step into throws, even on vertical targets, but lack of velocity will make those throws more difficult in trash. Will he have smaller windows to hit if he is a tick late on his reads?

Positives/Negatives: When set, and even unbalanced at times, he has a ridiculous arm. not only from a velocity standpoint, but some vertical shots are precise. Was on the losing end of a lot of drops and contested catches. Footwork is a major issue. Does he care about improving it and does his decision making drop as the team’s falls further back on the scoreboard? Has added weight, but throws were all arm. Very little use of the lower body. Can change his arm slot.